Bioshock — we wanted to call it a horror game, and some of the shocks certainly qualify, but like F.E.A.R. the game is an FPS at heart. Or is it an RPG game? No, you need more than a few upgrades to make the RPG list, but then again Bioshock is so much more than a genre; between top-notch storytelling and unbeatable AI, you can easily immerse yourself in the developers’ detailed creation.

Bioshock was something of a shock for everyone. The original System Shock was one of the scariest things you could do on your PC (without getting yourself put on a watch list, I mean), and Bioshock makes a solid case for Best Ever for the Xbox 360. Bioshock’s engine was a combination of Unreal 2.5 and Havok, producing incredibly detailed visuals and realistic behaviors in the materials around you as you move. Howver, the eye candy is secondary to the dept of background, narrative, gameplay freedoms, and overal emotional impact and immersive qualities. Have I said enough? Go play now!

The Orange Box — Half-Life 2 alone would be worthy of the list, but bundled with (among other things) the eminently mind-blowing Portal, this collection becomes a must-have.

Halo 3 — yup. The console’s flagship franchise stands up to the scrutiny by taking the series farther, harder, and deeper. Suffice it to say that the mere mention of the game immediately shuts up (or enrages) die-hard zealots of the “real FPS players use PCs” argument.

Modern Warfare 2 — an excellent “real-life” FPS that strips the genre to its most action-packed core and yet also provides thought-provoking choices (no, really!). Modern Warfare was a great FPS, but Modern Warfare 2 increases the graphics, response, and narrative elements to the next level.

Borderlands — hmm. There are a lot of reasons to be suspicious of this game, but also plenty of reasons to like it. Personally, I initially groaned to hear of yet another FPS with RPG elements (or is it the other way around?) set in a junkyard world full of quirky characters and a dark sense of humor. A Fallout 3 rip-off with co-op tacked-on for the widest possible market share? Well, yes and no…Borderlands is actually a relatively unique game, less like Fallout than those great smash-and-grab RPG-action games of years past (Diablo, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, et cetera).